Welcome to Litsy!

Reading about how the tragic events which haunt USA society become entangled in the dark web of conspiracy theories was both sad & an emotional black hole.
Sabrina disappears & her fate happens off page, so the reader can only deduced the truth of what happened to her based on probability, however, we do see what happens to those most closely affected by her disappearance, & the disturbing fantasies weaved about them informs our opinion of the ⬇️

It's a late afternoon, autumnal, mushroom soup and a glass of wine #LibraryHaul kinda day.
I don't think either of these graphic novels, Sabrina and Palestine, are going to be cheerful.
The Terraformers is for the November #LSFBC read, but I don't want to start that until I've finished Bester's Tiger! Tiger! for the November #ClassicLSFBC read.

😻

This was ok. Both bland and harrowing. The style reminded me very much of Chris Ware - whose work I admire, but is rather depressing.

This book was about conspiracy theories in modern America and, although in many ways an effective read, I wanted more emotional depth.

I really, really, really need to read something cheerful now. I feel drained.

Oh boy, was this intense. Drnaso‘s characters are minimally sketched, emotionally sparse and non-manipulative. The characters do not give into sensationalism, and primal emotions of grief and outrage are understood through deafening silences and pauses in the panels. Five 🌟

If I didn't finish this in one sitting it's because I forced myself to put it aside because I wanted it to last me more than one night. My knowledge about graphic novels is almost none but I was intrigued about how this was longlisted for the Booker prize and I'm glad I invested in a copy of my own. The artwork is dull, yes, but the minimal detail is exactly what completes this reflection on our times, flooded with violence and paranoia.

What an interesting graphic novel!
The most interesting subject in this book for me was the conspiracy theorists, and how they harass people who are experiencing a tragedy. How they use social media, and how they work to find "their truths".
I liked the flow of the storytelling, the illustrations, pretty much everything.

“Nothing just happens. Every news story is as strategically manufactured as the ads wedged between them. There‘s a story about housing prices. There‘s a commercial offering cash for gold. There‘s a story about a mass shooting. There‘s a commercial for antidepressants. When you‘re willing to acknowledge these patterns, you might never sleep soundly again.”

As Calvin becomes more stressed, so do I reading this book 😓😭

“We can‘t get lost in the meaningless metaphors of octopus tentacles and pyramids and secret symbols on the dollar bill. The villains don‘t hide behind cloaks, they grace magazine covers.”

This frame pretty much sums up the mood of this book so far. My sister and her husband got a copy to give me during a trip to London because of the name, but I never expected it to be so intense!

I was surprised how much I liked this. I‘m new to adult graphic novels and tried this based on reviews. It was fantastic, really engaging. It had so much to say and such a unique way of saying it. I‘ll definitely be checking out the adult graphic novels section of the library more frequently.

The story is one that captivated me: a young woman is brutally murdered, but amongst a media frenzy, conspiracy theories and the video being posted online, those left living are tortured with the insensitivities of the modern world.

The art? Absolutely horrible. All men looked the same, and there were pages where I had to turn the book right into light to see the images and wording.

Good story. Bad presentation. ⭐️⭐️

Oof. This is an intense story. The art and dialogue is stark, and it emphasizes the isolation and loneliness of the characters‘ lives. Conspiracy theories and suspicion abound, but there are also choices of tenderness. Nothing is stable, and anything you love can disappear in a moment for reasons you will never fully understand. Oof.

Hmm, ok. I think this book makes interesting points about how our culture processes tragedies and conspiracy theories and viral sensations, but this isn‘t a book I enjoyed reading at all. I felt anxious the whole time.

It‘s the first #graphicnovel ever nominated for the Booker prize, which doesn‘t surprise me. It feels like a literary fiction story told with pictures. The art & design of it match the tone of the story, but aren‘t very compelling.

(March 2019) I read this is one sitting...it's the sort of book that I had to find someone to discuss it with

One of the best graphic novels I have read in a while. A woman goes missing and is suspected to be dead, and her ex-boyfriend goes to live with a childhood friend in Colorado to process his grief and despair. But it‘s also really about how a conspiracy theory forms, how an online mob can turn on you, how easy it is to troll someone you don‘t believe to be a real person.

Sabrina is a quietly moving story about the aftermath of a woman's disappearance, particularly for her sister Sandra, her boyfriend Teddy, and the friend who takes Teddy in as he struggles to cope. The story is a specific example that illustrates the way our society has come to treat the continuous onslaught of tragedy we're bombarded with in the news. Drnaso's art work is simple yet effective; I look forward to more from him.

Polly plopped directly on my lap before I had a chance to reblanket myself.
On book #2, had a diversion for a while when a package from my mom arrived and I called her to chat. Now back to reading #deweysreadathon #catsoflitsy

Bleak but brilliant graphic novel. A sad story about the sad state of the nation, the harm social media platforms can do. Little human touches throughout give the book it's warmth and hope, if we could only learn to care about each other. Facebook is overrun with salacious gossip, conspiracy theory and targeted advertising. What a mess Zuckerberg. He should check out Litsy, this is social media as it should be.

1.) Dallas, TX
2.) Sabrina (tagged book) my husband surprised me with this for Christmas and I've been saving it for the #readathon
3.) Didn't plan any
4.) My favorite bookstore is the Big Chicken Barn in Maine
5.) I am a pretty relaxed readathoner but I do have two books I'm hoping to complete today, we'll see how that works out!
#deweys24hourreadathon @DeweysReadathon

Finally found this much hyped title on store shelves. First heard about it last year when there was some Man Booker buzz around it. Recommend Just Write's video about it on YouTube.

Wish I could have bailed but needed to read for book club. I didn‘t enjoy the art work, the print was way to small and I don‘t understand the end. Not my thing I guess. I sort of got some of the content , the curse of the internet, live content, trolls, death threats, conspiracy theories. I‘m not a graphic novel fan and this did not change my mind.

Beautiful and stark graphic novel.

@BookishMarginalia thank you thank you for so his extremely generous and thoughtful #cupidgoespostal gift. I am so excited for these books!

So excited to have found this platform!! This #littenintro seems like a perfect first post @tessavi

1. Long Island, NY 🗽
2. Sayaka Murata who wrote Convenience Store Woman, which was a perfect introduction to her refreshing and quirky style 🍦
3. I recently deleted all of my want to reads on Goodreads, as it was way out of control! I think I‘m at a manageable 15 📚
4. My sitting room couch, or a coffee shop ☕️
5. Sabrina by Nick Drnaso 📻

Although I don't necessarily disagree with this, it is exhausting in the middle of a crisis to try and keep up this Pollyanna-ish attitude. Sometimes crisis brings more crisis with no opportunity for personal growth until much much later.

I was intrigued by this graphic novel that was long-listed for the Booker Prize. The Literary Disco podcast discussed it on an episode, which nudged me to pick it up. This is an incredible story of modern-day paranoia, violence, grief, and conspiracy theorists. I expect that this will be one of those books that stays with me for a long time.

Pretty strong start to the year. This graphic novel exploration of conspiracy theories is timely and made me feel uncomfortable (but in a good way). 4/5 🌟

I‘ve tried to get through this book several times. The art is blocky and off putting. But Maybe that is a stylistic choice? Maybe Sabrina is drawn and colored the way it is to distance the reader from the characters? The reason I don‘t think I‘ll finish it is that this award winning work of literature falls right into the women in refrigerators trope. Awesome. I didn‘t finish it. Maybe it gets better.

What a lonely book.

Undecided about this. The art work was not to my taste at all but I did find it to be a thoughtful look at the current state of our culture. It was compelling in its own way. I was often more interested in what wasn‘t said than what was, e.g. the silent relationship of the two male friends.

Often, when I read a graphic novel, I‘m more impressed by the artwork than the story. This wasn‘t the case with Sabrina. I actually quite liked the story, which dealt with conspiracy theories, trauma and relationships. But the artwork was too simplistic for my taste, and the text was so small, that I had to have to book up close to my eyes (and yes, I do already wear glasses).

All in all, this wasn‘t bad, but it wasn‘t a fave either.

I thought, I would come home with the tagged book only, but when I got to the library I couldn‘t help browsing the graphic novel/comics section, and ended up with quite the #libraryhaul 📚

Subdued colours match the bleak tone of this #graphicnovel about how we process trauma in the aftermath of tragedy. Two of the main characters are inarticulate men, detached from their emotions, yet the author allows room for empathy. Online conspiracy theorists & paranoid radio talk show hosts contribute to the climate of uncertainty & fear.
Unsentimental psychological realism that kept me engrossed. Understandable why it made the Booker list.

More book synchronicity: The Mere Wife and Sabrina both have pivotal moments that centre on deeply disturbing videos that have gone viral. #contemporaryissues

⭐️⭐️

To engage with any graphic novel then I need to be 100% hooked with the visuals. In this case my eye would rather be anywhere else but scanning these panels of flat, grey monotony ( every possible drab tone is here - putty, puce, khaki, a grey raspberry I don't have a name for)
There are interesting points here on social isolation and media-fueled conspiracy theories, but in general this book did not resonate with me.
#manbooker2018

2nd printing: October 2018.
3rd printing: September 2018.
4th printing: September 2018.
…I don‘t understand this chronology.

Wow...what a book. I absolutely could not put this down. Totally deserves all the kudos it is getting.

Finally was able to get my hands on a copy. Let‘s see how it goes.

A grim take on the ways in which we process violent crime, this story truly surprised me. 4/5 stars!

Full review: https://reneereadsbooks.wordpress.com/2018/10/14/book-review-sabrina-by-nick-drn...

I waited for months to get this from the library. It‘s due in two days so I had to hurry up and read it. I‘m not sure what to make of it. It was sad, scary and confusing. I‘m not sure what to make of the end.

Different and refreshing take on the disappearance storyline. I liked how social media played both a good and scary part in this work.

I‘ve seen some so-so reviews for this book but I did enjoy it. It was very reminiscent of other Drawn + Quarterly publications. Not a lot of action, deep introspection with the characters. The plot was very interesting to me, what would the fallout be in such a situation? It felt real and honest and sort of sad and drawn out- much like life can be. Glad I picked it up.

The first graphic novel to make the Man Booker Longlist. And I‘m really not sure why. I am not a fan of graphic novels, and this is no exception. I also did not much like the illustration style and dull colors. I felt like I was reading a storyboard for an adaptation of a 20-page short story. The ideas are interesting, but they don‘t really go anywhere. I want a prose novel! #bookerlonglist #manbooker #graphicnovel

I'm not connecting well to this year's Man Booker Prize long list. This is the first graphic novel ever selected for inclusion and the story is drab drab drab - the characters are not really dealing with significant life crises and all illustrations feature small headed large bodied people in subdued hues. An undercurrent of conspiracy theory that becomes quite a threatening presence and is unresolved.

Today I came back to oxford for a visit to a friend and even though I only moved away 2 months ago it‘s made me feel so strange and idk if I like it. It feels so far away and empty compared to when I lived and worked here. Even if I am living with my parents I‘m so grateful I left to get another job and live somewhere else.

Comforted myself the only way I know how, of course... #bookhaul

I‘m a sucker for a Man Booker prize nominee - and for a graphic novel. So when I was given a book voucher, it had to be bought!!

This graphic novel looks at the effect of a woman‘s murder (filmed and provided to the media and then the internet) on her friends and family in the modern age. Online media and talk radio play a big part in the story - how it allows the widespread dissemination of conspiracy theories, false stories and innuendo, and leads ultimately to fear and isolation. I did not, however, care for the art and felt the storyline was a bit uneven. 2.5⭐️